coming up, a police chase that ran from maryland into the district. we have the latest about the investigation. >> the redskins get ready for another game tonight. >> two months after his sudden death, michaelatcknso will finally be buried. "good morning washington" continues right now. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- good morning, washington. it is 6:00.

i am doug mckelway. >> and i am greta kreuz in for alison. your traffic and weather tother every 10 minutes. >> we do have big probms on the american legion bridge. let's start with brian. >> ..prle clouds that are coming through. omempeturesrelem f b from below 60's in aexaniadr to 40's in parts of west virginia. >> it is rushed to get across the potomac river. outer loop drivers out of maryland using the american legion bridge, a high seas. it is a 15-foot boat that fell off a trailer. this is oy been working for about 20 minutes. outer loop, a boat off of a

trailer on the american legion bridge in the left lane. now to top stories. >> thank you. we begin with the latest on that dramatic police chase that ended with a dramatic shoot out. >> abc 7 was there, while police were following a murder suspect. courtney robinson is live with the very latest. >> good morning. all of this began with a double murder. officers are still investigating that this morning. they believe the suspect, blandford, killed his estranged wife and her sister -- and her sister. they have to kill him to protect themselves. abc 7 coffee dramatic chase on camera. behind the wheel of the white suburban with more than a dozen police officers on his tail, was theodore blandford.

>> i think he was a real bad guy. >> authorities believed it was blandford who murdered his wife sheena and her sister, cheryl timmons. a neighbor saw him break into their lothian home and then heard shots. theodore blandford was to stay away from his wife and turn over his weapon. >> he was pretty much living in his car. he was upset in the fact that he was no -- he wasn't able to be in his home. >> then the chase. officers checked an area they believe blandford might be in. the pursuit ended on minnesota avenue near the capital. wiesses say blandford tried to run. nine officers opened fire and shooting blandford 20 times.

>> he was dead. >> this family is no stranger to strategy. sheena blandford lost her son in 2008 to the war in iraq. he died after receipt. it roadside bomb. courtney robinson, abc 7 news. -- you died after he was hit by a roadside bomb. winston dillon is accused of murdering clarence rankine in silver spring on sunday. dillon has a gunshot wound. he left the hospital before police could charge shawn. police are also looking for another suspect, vincent minto. more ticket controversy for the redskins.

the washington post is reporting redskins are suing season-ticket holders who try to get out of their contracts. the redskins have filed 20 to 30 lawsuits the year. oicials say these suits are a last resort. health care reform could be in store for a very big shakeout. >> the white house has signaled they could be willing to back off demand for a public insurance option. >> the middle of august has been difficult for presint obama. his health-care plan stalled. he is hoping to take advantage of the changing of the seasons. he is planning to come back next week and be more specific about his health care reform. a new month, new beginning, and

they knew more directive for health care. that is the idea behind is a joint session speech to congress next week. >> we have been talking for months and months. all of the ideas are on the table. we have to deliver an overall vision. >> it will be a compromise this time around. the president is expected to focus less on some of the proposals that sparked opposition. >> some are > >option -- some are saying the public optio is not something the public will support. >> many republicans are pushing back on money and medicine. >> where is the money going to come from? >> it converged all over the reason, from fairfax to

centreville to the u.s. capitol. >> the fate of our country is at stake. >> mark warner joins the debate. he will be holding a town hall in fredericksburg tonight. doors open at 6:00 p.m. pamela brown, abc 7 news. >> thank you. the government will soon be hiring. the government needs to hire more than 21 70,000 workers for so-called mission-critical jobs over the next three years. they will -- department's hiring include veterans affairs, homeland serity, and the justice department. a large number of federal workers are reaching retirement age. there is an investigation again some guards the work of the u.s. embassy in afghanistan. there was a report that said

hired civilian guards are subjected to hazing, sex parties, and drunkenness. the contract for the accused companies could be terminated pending the investigation. ateo least 46 peop are confirmed dead after an earthquake in indonesia. it was centered off the coast and prompted a mass evacuation. this is an amateur video where people were rushing to get out of the building. at least one attend building are hospitalized with quaker-related injuries. -- at least 110 people are hospitalized with quake-related injuries. firefighters think the fire in los angeles was caused by a human. the fire is now about 20% contained. we have 60 degrees here in

rosslyn. >> stranded on the way to school. >> he was up this morning ready to go, waiting. >> we will tell you why one student was waiting for a bus that never came. >> outside we have a few extra clouds. how high will the mercury climb? we will let you know. >> lisa baden is monitoring a situation on the american legion bridge. they have it off to the left side.

and keep the economy going? it's the local pizza guy that needs to pay his supplier for the dough. during these times when you think most people would roll over, small business owners figure out a way to fight, and i just love being part of that kind of a team. we are able to provide customers with ways that they can keep their business running and profitable. and to really help them... help them get through this tough time. committing small business specialists like myself i think that speaks loudly to what bank of america thinks the heart of the community is - the small business.

hello. i'm sergeant wells. we're performing on september 11 at the patriot center for spirit of america. >> good morning, washington. on 6:12. co telkooacco"go d morning wewaoningt. '' re on the cusp' of a long ayidh wndee ke we're in thepeupr''s. r s. 57 in bowie. look to what is going on. as we look through the forecast, but we're looking for a sunshine to be mixed in with a few extra clouds. partly sunny. near about 80. that is a quick look at the easy forecast. now it difficult commute. >> i think you start giving the

ties. it is complicated to get across the potomac river for drivers on the beltway. out of maryland, a 15-foot boat fell off a trailer. outer loop, ms. spam, american legion bridge, the left lane is blocked -- mid span, the left lane is blocked. in virginia, let's go live because we love you, baby. we're good at 395 at washington boulevard. nothing out of the norm on 110. >> thank you. metro general manager is responding to charges that he failed to give the public proper notice about upcoming station closures. the reagan national airport, pentagon city, and crystal city will all be closed this weekend because of maintenance work. several board members say they were not consulted about that.

word about the closures went out weeks ago. 6:13. >> the federal reserve sees a light at the end of the economic tunnel. better days ahead. >> the white house signals a strategy shift.

>> you are watching abc 7's "good morning washington," with doug mckelway, alison starling, meteorologist brian van de graaff, weather, and lisa baden, traffic. this is "good morning washington," on your side. in our top stories, nine prince george's county police officers are on routine administrative leave after shooting and killing a murder suspect. police say theodore blandford killed his estranged wife and her sister and then led police on a wild chase into the

district where he died. >> president obama goes before congress next week to make his case for health care reform. he will make a prime-time speech on wednesday. the white house is trying to regain the initiative on health care. >> the redskins are in another ticket controversy. the team is suing dozens of its fans for backing out of premium season ticket contracts. officials say they try to work a deal with ticketholders before the were forced to take legal action. some parents of special needs students in d.c. are upset because the buses have not been picking up their students. this student has been doing his work at home because the parents do not have a way to get him to school without a boss. >> he was ready to go, looking

out his window. >> the problem, a glitch in the new transportation software. the college has been dropping up to 100 students off the pickup was. most of those names have been readded. they hope to have the glitch fixed this week. 6:17. your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes. >> there have been problems of the beltway this morning. >> it is crazy talk. now they are trying to figure out who is to blame. they are saying it will be the operator, the person who failed to secure the trailer and the vehicle properly. the pavement is rough. as they were crossing the bridge, but it bounced off of the trailer. whatever. outer loop american legion

bridge left lane, at 15-footer boat came off of a trailer. they are waiting for a tow truck to arrive. delays will go back to 270 very quickly. baltimore-washington parkway, but you just had a crash near laurel. you may want to get on at 197 instead. >> outside, but we're keeping an eye on this low pressure off the coast of the carolinas. maybe a few extra clouds this morning. it will still be a partly sunny and pleasant day. erika is down to our south east but it will lose some steam. we are not super concerned. we're calling this a near miss. most of the moisture stays away. mmaybe a few sprinkles.

southern maryland, 67. a wide range of temperatures. we will call for mid 70's at lunchtime. some scattered clouds. not quite as school. tomorrow, kind of a similar deal. it touched warmer. low to mid 80's for the weekend. a dry stretch. maybe some showers by the middle of next week. >> thank you. the federal reserve is thinking positively about an optimistic assessment of the economy. >> pfizer is paying. record fine. jeremy hubbard has the numbers. >> optimism the recession is coming to an end. fed officials are growing confident the downturn is ending.

they expect economic growth to resume. the recovery is likely to be slow. pfizer has agreed to pay $2.3 billion for illegally promoting some of its most popular drugs. one of them was touted to doctors. the company was promoting it for things it was not been approved for. it was eventually linked to harvester -- to heart attacks and strokes. women outnumber men at will become a majority in october or november. the recession has accelerated this trend. women have still not achieved equality in pay. wal-mart is changing the way it pays some of its workers. they are eliminating paper checks and giving employees debit cards. walmart says the move will save

paper and money. southwest airlines is offering an early bird special. it is allowing passengers to pay extra to reserve a spot in the boarding line. the nfl season kicks off one week for tonight. there is an annual rankings of the most valuable franchises. the dallas cowboys' top the list. they are worth 1.6 $5 billion. the redskins are second fall by the patriots, the giants and the jets. and that is your "money scope" report. i'm jeremy hubbard. >> thank you much. still to come, michael jackson possible final resting place. we will have details on the elaborate funeral plans. >> simon cowell talks in one of the best.

that is today at 4:00. >> we're keeping an eye at this backup of the american legion bridge where a boat fell off of a trailer. four lanes getting by. back with more.

two months after his death, michael jackson will be buried today. it will be a private ceremony

glendale, california. the ceremony will be heavily guarded. the death has been ruled a homicide. levi johnson hasn't accusations against a former vice presidential candidate. >> is another justice getting ready to resign? tiffany wilson has those stories and more. >> the most senior member of the u.s. supreme court budget will they step down? john paul stevens h only hired one clark today. stevens normally hires three clerks. justices are traditionally coy about retirement plans. this may indicate he is planning to step down. "she made me cut down my

mullet." that is one complaint said in " vanity fair." they say they paid an author feet because the article was penned in his own words. binge drinking is bad for your belly. those who drink for to five pints of beer in one day are more likely to have a beer belly. men averaged about 2 1/2 inches. stomach fat is known to be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. you are at home and you open a can of diet pepsi and you swallow frog guys. that is what happened to a man in florida.

the remains of a frog or tote were left inse. the f.d.a. investigated the local pepsi plant. pepsi says they are not responsible. the man is looking into legal options. disgusting. >> i covered a story like this almost exactly like that in florida. a man found a mouse in a beer. they examined the marks on the fraud which indicated the frog had been pushed in there by the guy. it was a disgruntled former employer. >> maybe there's more to the store. >> i like that, "they may be cut off my mullet.." >> thank you for joining us. 6:27. >> coming up, swine flu

outbreaks popping up in colleges. we have the numbers and what it means for students. >> more ticket the troubles for the redskins. i will tell you all about it. >> we are live in the weather center. we're attracting a beautiful pattern for the long holida ho

>> live and in hd, this is "good morning washington," on your side. good morning, washington. 6:30. i am greta kreuz. >> and i am doug mckelway. your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes. the gorgeous weather continues today. i guess we do need some rain. >> it wille t be tried. we have a fewraxtou el c. ds ra ext clouds. 53 right nown i fderick. you can see of the clouds. we are in the 50's this morning and near 60 downtown. near 80 this afternoon. it will be a good day. low humidity. >> not much in virginia. 66, 95, and 395 have the normal

volume of traffic. there was a crash at 606 in herndon. police say it is now gone. let's go live to the camera of traffic on 270. the red is heading southbound. let's go to the beltway travel after 270 near river road. pretty bad. that is because a 15-foot boat fell off of a trailer. theeft lane is blocked on the american legion bridge. greta and doug. >> thank you. the redskins are taking a beating, but this time it is not on the football field. >> it is because of ticket controversy. matt brock has the latest. >> the redskins are suing some of their premium ticket holders.

they have tried to work out deals with. they make this new arrangement and folks default on those arrangements. we talked to one ticket holder who disputes that col. this man is a season-ticket holder and is not exactly cheering the front office. >> to sue someone who doesn't have the money to start with, you put them in a financial burden. >> he and his wife cannot afford to pay the final year of his contract. the team sued. >> i just needed additional time. >> the team in minutes it takes 20 to 30 fans to court each year. officials say they have no insunce but to take legal action when fans default on their legal obligations.

some use their tickets and and just refuse to pay. >> we have bent over backwards for these people. a few of these go to litigation. >> reports revealed they sold tickets to brokers, while france on a waiting list were sidelined. -- while fans on a waiting list were sidelined. >> even if i had to sell them to someone else, they would get the money. >> a number of nfl teams refuse to sue their ticketholders. in some cases, in other cases, they actually pull the tickets and cancel the contract. not a good day for the redskins when it comes to the p.r. objective. you can bet that's why they put

out that pre-empted story. live at fedex field, matt brock, abc 7 news. >> thank you. president obama is changing his strategy to pass health care reform. he is taking his message is directed to health care workers. he will address a joint session of congress. he will get specific. he will explain the benefits of the controversial public insurance option. senator ted kennedy wrote of fear and remorse surrounding the accident on chappaquiddick accident when his car plunged into a pond killing a female accident. he described his actions as inexcusable and said he was afraid and made a terrible decisions. he said his faith has always brought him home.

the book is set to be published on september 14. a lorton resident helped a woman after she escaped from a carjacker. the man forced the woman into the trunk of her car. the woman was turnaround for an hour before the man let her out safely. the woman showed up at nancy's door and said she had no idea where she was. >> she told me that she had been abducted and she had nothing. she was so scared because he had a gun. >> police searched for the carjacker. police found the victim's crashed car in lorton. the 22 year-old has been arrested. the man accused in the shooting death of a museumcku gd

he needso t go a competency evaluation. he will be back in court in october. on palmer college president is defending himself against allegations. he calls them a vicious attack on his credibility. some faculty say he has missed meetings and improperly spent college money. the board of trustees is scheduled to meet at 6:00 tonight to consider johnson possible future. more than half universities and colleges are reporting infected students with the swine flu. there're more than 1600 cases of the swine f. only one student has been hospitalized. no deaths have been reported. linda bell is live in new york with business headlines.

>> youtube is going hollywood. the most visited the website is in discussion with hollywood studios to start an on-line movie service. sony pictures entertainment's is talking with youtube about offering new releases. youtube is adding professionally produced material. walmart plans to stop using paper peril checks in an effort to cut costs and save paper. walmart said the move would save more than a 250,000 oven thousand pounds of paper a year. they did not say how much money they would save. stock index futures are indicating gains this morning. investorspelacu ste that the service industries contracted at

a slower pace in the month of august. that is your business news. live at bloomberg headquarters in new york, i am linda bell. doug and greta, back to you.

6:41 of this thursday morning. your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes.

>> let's head to outside to see what brian has to say about the beautiful weather. >> we talked about some extra clouds of this morning. 'seeing blue skies. a inrn p be merld milder in om 60 degrees in alexandria and leonardtown. madison county coming in at 50 this morning. maybe an isolated sprinkle late tonight. low mid 80's tonight. dry conditions all the way through the holiday weekend. >> it has been a busy day. it all started with a boat that fell off its trailer. i am using past tense phrases. there go. outer loop, lanes are open across the potomac river. thank you for the camera.

we're open across the american legion bridge. no longer listing. the boat is gone. delays are growing on 270. this is virginia, where things are good in shirlington at 395. >> thank you. 6:43, 61 degrees. >> the latest on the white house strategy

>> you are watching abc 7's "good morning washington," with doug mckelway, alison starling, meteorologist brian van de graaff, weather, and lisa baden, traffic. this is "good morning washington," on your side. 6:45.

>> would begin with the case for health care reform. president obama will go before congress next week to outline his plan. in a wednesday speech, he is expeed to provide more details on how his reform plan will work. >> more ticket controversy for the redskins. the team is now suing dozens of fans for backing out of their premium season ticket plans. >> good news out of california. residents have been allowed to survey the damage. firefighters now have the fire 20% contained. >> joe biden will give a progress report on the comet at the brookings institution today. he is expected say the econo is reaching its goals.

>> 39-year-old winston dillon and another man are accused of shooting and killing clarence rankine in silver spring on sunday. dillon was being treated for a gun shot, but left. a suspect is wanted for it double murder. courtney robinson has the latest. >> we know more about the suspect in this case, a 51-year- old theodore blandford had a criminal record and have a protective order against him to stay away from his estranged fe, sheena blandford. investigators are looking into this double murder. blandford they believe that's broke into the home he shared with his estranged wife. they say he shot and killed her and her sister, cheryl timmons.

a neighbor called police yesterday morning to report that. officers contacted prince george's county to check into an area where blandford might be. that is where the chase began. officers say blandford was driving the white suburban, chased by more than a dozen officers. it ended on minnesota avenue. blandford tried to run from police. he turned and pointed a gun at them. nine officers shot at him more than 20 times and killed him. friends and neighbors say they are shocked by this. this is not the first time the fami has experienced tragedy. the woman lost her 20-year-old son to the war in iraq in 2008 when he was hit by a roadside bomb. >> thank you. for more on this story, log

onto website, wjla.com. your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes. we are publishing in this delightful early taste of fall. >> -- we are relishing in this delightful early taste of fall. >> no humidity. >> wh ellwhse more could youl want? let's look thetr s. icop we had bill, then danny, nowic erika. it ilosising steam. it will bewnin ed atoin to a depression. i want to sho you what things look like around here locally. we have a few extra clouds around the area. tilwidine veoutside, we have a u fu the day withermpeste w ur

62 right now downtown. 62 inanr.do lve rrwa 5 ii want to talk about the pollen index. they have been low. molds are in the moderate category. ragweed is in the moderate category. it is traditionally the first week of september can be at the worst for ragweed. it is enough that the sneezing can be affecting you. it is because of the ragwe. partly sunny and comfortable. temperatures around 80 degrees. a few clouds will keep temperatures in the 50's to below 60's. tomorrow will be a similar day. mid 80's for the weekend. a couple of days of near-perfect

weather. we do need some rain. maybe by the middle of next week. >> we are strong to the finish because we eat our spinach. make sure you eat your spinach. they had to move a boat off the beltway. american legion bridge. left lane now open to. there has been repercussions. there are delays off 270 past democracy boulevard to go south to the american legion bridge is open. 66, a brief delays at vienna and the beltway. normal back up from woodbridge before and after the occoquan river. baltimore-washington parkway it will take you 10 additional minutes because of a crash th have moved onto the shoulder.

h

good morning. the big push from president obama to rally behind health care reform. will it work? more on that. how jaycee dugard spent time. the college dorm that has been quarantined with the swine flu.

we will speak to some of the students. does this secret to fighting cancer a lie buried in the womb? all that ahead. treelike a good parmesan cheese -- do you like parmesan cheese? in italy, it is being used as collateral for loans. >> it takes two years for parmesan cheese to mature. they take out a loan. the cheese is so valuable, one bank fault actually had two attempted break-ins in the past month. >> if they did not have this kind of aid by the banks, the world of parmesan cheese could not survive. >> officials say if the cheese industry in italy could not get these kinds of loans, they could not survive.

this is a solid investment. if all else fails, the cheese is delicious. >> if you owe money to more than one bank, you cut the cheese. >> please! let's not even laughed. it enforces the behavior. it has been a busy morning. delays on 270 to get to th american legion bridge. lanes are open. nothing complicated in virginia. normal back up on 95 at the beltway. >> we do have some clouds around. we're not going to look for more than some added clouds. temperature near 80 today with low humidity. maybe a sprinkle south of town tonight. low to mid mid 80's for the entire holiday weekend. >> that does it for us.

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